Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration - Phase I Results
- AltaRock Energy, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States)
- Davenport Newberry Holdings LLC, Stamford, CT (United States)
- PLS Environmental, LLC, Boulder, CO (United States)
Phase I of the Newberry Volcano Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) Demonstration included permitting, community outreach, seismic hazards analysis, initial microseismic array deployment and calibration, final MSA design, site characterization, and stimulation planning. The multi-disciplinary Phase I site characterization supports stimulation planning and regulatory permitting, as well as addressing public concerns including water usage and induced seismicity. A review of the project's water usage plan by an independent hydrology consultant found no expected impacts to local stakeholders, and recommended additional monitoring procedures. The IEA Protocol for Induced Seismicity Associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems was applied to assess site conditions, properly inform stakeholders, and develop a comprehensive mitigation plan. Analysis of precision LiDAR elevation maps has concluded that there is no evidence of recent faulting near the target well. A borehole televiewer image log of the well bore revealed over three hundred fractures and predicted stress orientations. No natural, background seismicity has been identified in a review of historic data, or in more than seven months of seismic data recorded on an array of seven seismometers operating around the target well. A seismic hazards and induced seismicity risk assessment by an independent consultant concluded that the Demonstration would contribute no additional risk to residents of the nearest town of La Pine, Oregon. In Phase II of the demonstration, an existing deep hot well, NWG 55-29, will be stimulated using hydroshearing techniques to create an EGS reservoir. The Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration is allowing geothermal industry and academic experts to develop, validate and enhance geoscience and engineering techniques, and other procedures essential to the expansion of EGS throughout the country. Successful development will demonstrate to the American public that EGS can play a significant role in reducing foreign energy dependence, and provide clean, renewable, baseload geothermal power generation in the State of Oregon.
- Research Organization:
- AltaRock Energy, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0002777
- OSTI ID:
- 1022774
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EE-2777/1
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (United States), 23-26 Oct 2011
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration Stimulation Modeling
Preliminary Analysis of Stress in the Newberry EGS Well NWG 55-29